Ashes and Embers
by Secretly M
Summary: Mikado gasped, looking the redhead who he'd agreed to become partners with. He hesitantly walked over to her, feeling his face starting to burn up again. "H-Hey." Mikado croaked. MikadoxOC {Haru Sasaki}
1. affection

Ashes and Embers

_Secretly M_

**Chapter 1**

affection

Haru pulled on a worn-out green hoodie and slipped it on, pulling on her Raira Academy uniform over it. She lifted the hood up and let only her bangs show through the shadow effect that the hoodie created over her face. Haru's emerald orbs glimmered as she walked out into the sunlight.

* * *

"Will you go out with me? Just one date, please!" Kida was desperate, waving his hands in the air, trying to get the attention of the girl standing in front of him. She rolled her eyes before walking away. Kida sighed, walking back over to Mikado and Anri. "Oh well. It'll definitely work next time when they realize what they're missing!"

Anri giggled and Mikado rolled his eyes, slightly blushing at the noise Anri made. Kida was about to give up until he saw one more girl making her way to the academy. Mikado saw the look in his eyes. "Kida, I think you've annoyed enough girls today." He joked, knowing that Kida would _never _miss the chance to flirt.

Haru didn't notice the blonde running over to her until he was walking beside her.

"Are you new? I've never seen you before! Maybe you need someone to show you around, I will! Maybe after we can grab some sushi, hmm?"

Haru her head towards him, flashing a glare that scared Kida and he shrugged, turning to run back to his friends.

"No luck! Maybe tomorrow." The blonde said when he reached Mikado and Anri.

Kida and Anri started to walk inside to their classes. Mikado felt as if his feet had been glued to the ground as he watched Haru, who was only a few feet behind his friends. His face was pink and cheeks burned when she glanced at him, he hoped she couldn't see it.

"Mikado?" Kida asked, tugging on the sleeve of the ebony-haired boy.

Mikado quickly exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding in and quickly walked off, leaving Anri and Kida behind. He grabbed his chest in hopes that his heart would stop beating so fast.

* * *

Science was her favorite subject but all Haru could do was stare out the window. She twirled a pencil in her fingers, not wanting school to end but not wanting to learn at the same time. The bell rang, snapping Haru out of her phase. She picked up her bag which was laying on the floor next to her desk and headed to her last class.

Mikado hadn't forgotten about the mysterious redhead, but he was calmed down and back to normal. His head was rested in his hands as he listened to Kida talk about a joke he heard someone say in Russian Sushi.

Haru walked into class, looking for an available seat. She smiled when she caught an open seat and slipped in, lifting her bag from her shoulders and placing it on the ground.

"Quiet!" The teacher slammed her fist on the front desk and pointed to the board. "Do this, which will most likely take up most of your time. I want it busy in here!" She yelled, opening a book and sitting at her desk.

On the board was a list posted on the board and Kida was one of the first up there. He quickly ran back to Mikado who was waiting for his return a second later.

"Trade with me." Kida said. "You have the cutest girl in this class as your partner. Please!" The blonde dropped to his knees, begging.

"Uh, okay. Who do I have now?" Mikado secretly hoped that he hadn't traded a good partner for someone terrible, he also cursed at himself for being such a good friend.

"Sasaki Haru." Kida stood up, pointing over to a girl sitting at her desk nervously chewing on the tip of her thumb.

Mikado gasped, looking the redhead who he'd agreed to become partners with. He hesitantly walked over to her, feeling his face starting to burn up again. "H-Hey." Mikado croaked.

Haru pulled her thumb away from her mouth and smiled at the ebony-haired boy. She didn't notice Mikado blushing as he sat in a seat next to her.

"So I was thinking, maybe a volcano! Not like the regular kind, maybe it could shoot candy or something… What do you think?" The redhead asked, looking over at Mikado.

He blushed even more when Haru turned her attention to him and made eye contact. "Cool." Mikado barely managed to say normally.

Haru scooted closer to Mikado, their shoulders and legs touching. "I already have the plans written, I was hoping we could go to your place tonight and start working on it." She pulled down her hoodie, exposing wild red hair. Haru turned again, making Mikado's heart pound with how close their faces were.

"I'm s-sorry, I… uh ...just have a lot of things on my mind. My place sounds great!" Mikado exclaimed quickly, breathing heavily when he finished his sentence.

Haru, obviously oblivious to his affection towards her, lifted her hand and felt his forehead. "Are you-" The bell rung and Mikado jumped up quickly. "Here's my address." Mikado placed a piece of paper on the desk in front of Haru and ran away.

* * *

'I am such a loser when it comes to girls!' Mikado thought to himself, laying on top of his bed and nervously waiting for Haru to arrive. He couldn't stand being in the same room as her in school, how was he going to remain calm when the girl was in his apartment? The ebony-haired boy didn't understand why she made his heart beat so fast and hard that he could hear it in his ears and his chest hurt, or why he blushed so much around Haru. Sure, she was pretty, but it was something else. Something different. Mikado just didn't know what exactly it was yet.

* * *

"I have to go or they'll think something is wrong!" Haru yelled desperately, standing in front of a tall man who looked at her disgustedly. He stood up and punched Haru in the face, causing her to fall onto the floor and spit out blood.

"You're lucky, Haru. If I found out that you're screwing around I'll beat you until you can't tell whether or not it's daytime! Clean yourself up." He yelled, kicking her once in the stomach and then leaving the room.

The redhead clutched her stomach on the ground. Even after ten years, she still wasn't used to the screaming and the physical abuse. But she knew she _was _lucky. Her older sister Natalie suffered through the sexual abuse. Haru didn't remember exactly was her sister looked like, since she was only allowed to see her sister on special occasions, but Haru remembered the fear-ridden face and bags under her eyes. Natalie's body was all skin and bones and her clothes were always too baggy, if she was wearing any.

Too many times had their father made her get abortions from home instead of getting proper care at the hospital.

Too many times had their father had a close friend come and patch Haru up, making up a story about why her bones were broken or why she needed stitches again.

Haru pulled herself up off the floor, groaning when pain shot through her stomach. She did as her father told her and washed the blood from her face and replaced her clothes that were now stained with little hints of blood.

* * *

_Knock! Knock! Knock! _Mikao jumped at the sound of the door being knocked on. He'd fallen asleep on his bed and hadn't realized.

"I'm sorry it's so late." Haru bowed and apologized as soon as the ebony-haired boy opened the door.

"I-It's alright." Mikado motioned for the redhead to go inside his apartment.

Haru smiled brightly, pulling off the beanie that rested on her head and let her wild hair loose. "Let's get started." She told Mikado which ingredients to get out and the two began working on making the 'candy volcano'.

"Stop being so nervous around me." Haru said as she poured flour into a bowl.

Mikado froze, dropping the supplies that were in his hands. He blushed and was glad he wasn't facing Haru.

"S-Sorry." Mikado replied, quickly picking up the items he'd dropped.

"I'm being serious." Haru said firmly, mixing in eggs, sugar and pink dye with the flour.

The ebony-haired boy didn't know what else to say, so he didn't say anything back. Her words, however, had helped. Mikado could feel his heart calming down and the heat on his face was receding.

"Thank you." Mikado said quietly, stepping next to Haru and helping shape the cake.


	2. secrets

**Ashes and Embers**

_Secretly M_

Chapter 2

secrets

Mikado and Haru slumped down to the ground, covered in baking ingredients, exhausted.

"That was only the base of the project." Mikado groaned.

Haru giggled, standing up and helping Mikado to his feet as well. She glanced at the time on her phone. "I gotta go, I'm way past curfew."

The ebony-haired boy noticed the quick flash of fear in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but didn't. There was something wrong, he needed to figure out, but without Haru noticing.

She was out the door in a second, her fiery red hair flying behind her. Mikado stood in the middle of the small room, still looking at the door with a confused look. Then he ran to his computer, wiping the flour on his hands onto his pants. He started typing quickly, squinting at the bright light that came from the monitor in the dark room.

"Nothing!" Mikado yelled, slamming his fists on the keyboard in front of him. This was the sixth time in the last hour that he'd come up empty when he searched Haru. He tried everything in his power, but it seemed as if someone had wiped her and whoever her family was from the surface of the earth completely.

Giving up, Mikado threw himself into bed and closed his eyes, ignoring the huge mess the two teens had created. All he could think about was the look in Haru's eyes before she left.

The redhead clenched her teeth, taking another hit from her father. He made sure to hit the same place every time and to throw water in Haru's face when she was on the verge of passing out. She could feel her jaw and cheek-bone give out, making a strange popping sound. Her father must've heard it too because he switched to her stomach.

Haru fell to the ground, clutching her stomach when the wind was knocked out of her.

"You're weak Haru. It's pathetic. Your sister lasts longer." Haru's father muttered, pulling out a small blade, slicing the body on the floor in front of him a few times.

After a couple more slashes, the abuser got bored and threw the blade onto the ground. "Clean up." He said, leaving the room.

The cuts on Haru's skin burned and stung. They were large, but not deep. Haru turned herself over onto her back, touching the spot where her father had repeatedly punched her. It twitched under her warm fingers before throbbing. Nothing was broken or misplaced, it was only a large bruise. Haru pulled herself up, falling down the first few times. When she could finally get up, the redhead stumbled over to the bathroom and spit blood into the stained sink, taking a look at herself in the mirror. This was the same routine everyday. Come home, get beat, endure the pain, go to the bathroom and clean up, repeat.

Haru took a long, cold shower. That always helped, making her seem free and letting the redhead escape to a fantasy land that would never exist. It worked until she got out and heard her sister's moans while she laid in bed. Haru sighed, plugging in earphones and escaping into a different world again. "Until morning." The redhead whispered, smiling at the time her and Mikado had spent freely together.

"So how was your date with Haru?" Kida smirked at Mikado as they walked down the hallway side by side. Anri smiled but remained silent as usual. The ebony-haired boy knew his two friends were trying to tease him.

"It wasn't a date, but we had a lot of fun. We got a lot done too."

The two friends frowned at Mikado's answer, expecting him to blush or stutter. He pulled away from his friends when he saw Haru walking down the hall to ask why she left so quickly.

"Yeah! Go get some Mikado!" Kida yelled, pumping a fist in the air.

Mikado rolled his eyes and walked up next to Haru who had her head down as she walked. The ebony-haired boy noticed a slight limp in her walk and it was almost as if she was trying to hide it.

"Hey." He said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yo." Haru replied somberly, lifting her head up.

"Are you okay? Looks like you got beat up." Mikado asked, referring to Haru's black eye.

"Just a little trouble on my way home, no prob."

'Why is she lying to me?" Mikado wondered. He could see it in her eyes so easily, it was as if she had given up trying to hide her secret and wanted him to know.

The bell rung and Haru flashed Mikado a quick smile. "I'll explain later." She said quickly.

"There she goes again, running off. But what's she running from?" Mikado asked himself aloud as he made his way to class, already late.


End file.
